You’re in a unique position sitting at the intersection of healthcare and consumer goods. Can you pull back the curtain on the technologies GN is working on that people might already be using without realising?
We divide it functionally into three areas. First, we have hearing aids, which make up about 40% of our sales. These are products making a meaningful impact. We're touching more than 10 million people a year, helping them hear better, often improving their social lives. There’s also research linking hearing support with slower cognitive decline, including dementia.
The second part is enterprise communications under the Jabra brand. We’re a leading player in headsets and video systems, helping reduce travel and improving virtual meeting quality, bringing remote collaboration closer to in-person. The third is SteelSeries, which focuses on gaming equipment. It may seem different from hearing aids and enterprise communication, but the link is audio and experience. For many, gaming is more than just games—it's social, a community where people connect. The common thread is innovation around sound and delivering high-quality experiences.
Your background in electronics engineering gives you a front-row seat to how fast audio and AI technologies are evolving. What breakthroughs are you most excited about right now?
We're very focused on the customer experience across all our segments and how we can leverage new technologies to overcome their unique challenges. On the engineering side, we have a world-class team working on sound tech.
AI in hearing aids is essentially neural networks. It trains chipsets to amplify certain sounds and suppress others, powerfully transforming real-world use.
Take a common situation like a noisy restaurant: the hearing aid can now better separate conversation from background noise, creating a much better experience.
I think we’ll see a huge transformation in the way we work. It’ll become more technology-driven and probably shift from typing to talking with tech such as AI assistants. Headphones and video systems are becoming gateways to this shift. We're very excited about this future—not just for the tech itself, but its positive impact on people’s lives.
Sustainability has become a priority for GN in recent years. How are your design and engineering teams working together to increase the use of recycled and bio-based materials in your products?
A few years ago, we made a strong commitment to prioritize sustainability. We've made a lot of progress, and we’re pushing even further. From a product design perspective, our technology and design teams work together early in the process. Across all products and packaging, if you look at everything we made in 2024, 20% of that material would be recycled or bio-based. For example, some of our enterprise products now have over 50% recycled content in the mechanical parts. That meant testing over 25 material candidates to meet both sustainability and our quality standards. We haven’t set a timeline yet, but we have a clear line of sight to double it, and we’re confident we can.
It’s more about evolving the way we work. But there are hurdles. Availability and maturity of recycled material supply can be challenging—especially for materials like aluminum. Cost can also be a factor. There are also stricter regulations in areas like hearing aids, where anything touching the skin must meet medical-grade standards. That's why we’ve focused more initially on enterprise products, which are larger in volume and less regulated.
Packaging is often a balancing act between sustainability, cost, and user experience. What specific changes have you made to make GN’s packaging more sustainable while still meeting practical needs for both retail and enterprise customers?
We’ve removed plastic unless absolutely necessary and introduced FSC-certified materials for all new packaging. We're also rolling it out to legacy products. FSC covers both environmental and social aspects, which guided our decision. We’ve simplified packaging for enterprise customers who buy in bulk—using pouches or multi-packs. In retail, where individual packaging is still needed, we've made sure it’s more sustainable and user-friendly. The feedback has been positive.
As for end-of-life recyclability, it’s an important yet difficult issue. On hearing aids, we’re furthest along—we’ve created a circular flow involving returns, repairs, and reuse. On the enterprise side, we’ve upgraded all headsets to have replaceable batteries to comply with regulations. But there’s still work to do—both from us and the industry. It’s about culture and helping customers see the value in circularity.
The past year has brought fresh waves of geopolitical and economic uncertainty that are testing global supply chains. How has GN built resilience into its operations to stay agile?
The last six months have brought more change than we’ve seen in a while. With some foresight, we started diversifying our production strategy a few years ago, to address global challenges such as wars, pandemics, supply chain disruptions, tariffs and trade wars. We are now able to manufacture in multiple countries and have global and regional capabilities, which not only enhances our resilience but also positions GN for sustainable growth in the global market.
Sustainable and resilient production is the direction we’ll keep heading in. We'll follow legislation in each country, but we haven’t seen anything alarming that would make us change course. For example, our next video bar will use more sustainable materials, be easier to repair, and be more energy efficient. And customers love the new packaging, both for its sustainability and ease of use.
